Zoë Alleyne Washburne
Zoë Alleyne Washburne was a Browncoat born February 15, 2484, "Vesselside." Zoë served in the Unification War under Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds and continued under his command on his spaceship, Serenity. A loyal second-in-command and a tough, deadly fighter, Zoë was the only member of Mal's crew to regularly call him "sir" and took orders as if receiving them from a superior officer. Biography Zoë married Serenity's pilot Hoban Washburne sometime after he joined the crew, though initially she claimed that something about him "bothered" her—possibly his disturbing moustache. Although Zoë and Wash worked a very dangerous sort of lifestyle, they managed to retain a rather happy marriage with one another. Wash at times grew jealous of Zoë's close relationship with Mal, but later managed to get past it. During the events of Serenity Wash was killed. Heartbroken, Zoë and the rest of the crew built a memorial for her husband on Mr. Universe's moon. As revealed in the comic Serenity: Float Out, Zoe is now pregnant with Wash's daughter. At the time of the Battle of Serenity Valley, Zoë had attained the rank of Corporal. Along with Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds, she was the only other survivor of their platoon in that battle. Unlike Mal, she was career military, and was often more calm in dangerous situations. Mal often thought with his heart while Zoë usually thought with her head. Regardless, Zoë followed all orders from Mal, although often with a degree of advice or concern. Behind the scenes Zoë is portrayed by actress Gina Torres in the television series Firefly and in the motion picture Serenity. According to Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, by Joss Whedon, Zoë's last name at the time of the War of Unification was Alleyne and is Washburne at the time of the series. In the DVD commentary for the episode "Shindig," costume designer Shawna Trpcic mentions that the leather necklace Zoë always wears is a symbol of her marriage bond. However, she is seen wearing the necklace in the flashback sequences of "Out of Gas," well before she has married Wash. In the book Firefly: The Official Companion - Vol. 1, Torres speculates that the necklace is actually a shoelace from the boots that Zoë wore during the Unification War. According to the book Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, Firefly series creator Joss Whedon writes that Zoë's last name was Alleyne (at least at the time of the Unification War), and she took the name Washburne after her marriage to Hoban Washburne. This is confirmed in a deleted scene from Serenity where a display lists her military name as Corporal Zoë Alleyne. In the documentary Re-Lighting the Firefly, her name is given as Zoë Warren, apparently a version of her name which was considered at one time, but changed by the time the film Serenity was released. Her weapon of choice appears to be identical to the Mare's Leg, a custom Winchester Model 1892 rifle used by Steve McQueen's character Josh Randall in the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive. Joss Whedon calls the Mare's Leg his "favorite gun of all times" . The actual gun she uses in the series was originally used in the series The Adventures of Brisco County.The Official Companion Volume One – "Have You Ever Been with a Warrior Woman?: Zoë's Pistol and Vest" Appearances * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *''Downtime'' *''Better Days'' *''Those Left Behind'' *''The Other Half'' *''The Shepherd's Tale'' *''Serenity'' movie *''Serenity'' novel *''Float Out'' Sources *''Serenity Role Playing Game'' *''Big Damn Heroes Handbook'' Notes and references Category:Females Category:Independent Planets personnel Category:Serenity crewmembers